Hopefully you never find yourself in need of emergency water removal and restoration services. Even in non-emergency times, finding the right company to repair water damage requires understanding how the business works.
It also means taking steps to make sure that you aren’t getting a cheap or ineffective repair from a company that doesn’t have the skill or tools to do the job properly.
So how do you know if your company is legitimate?
When you are using a company or purchasing a service for a once-in-a-lifetime job, it’s hard to tell if the company is good or not. And it requires a bit of faith.
It’s not like ice cream, where you can try many different brands over a period of time and then determine your favorite.
You get to make one choice, and then you must live with it, or face additional paperwork and hassle.
So what do you look for?
Signs of a professional restoration company
Look for these signs that the company you are considering is a legitimate company that has the experience to do the work well the first time:
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of A or A+. The BBB is a non-profit entity that exists in over 100 locations or regions to provide meaningful feedback on companies and products, and to help customers get good information or force good service from companies that might otherwise ignore them. Getting a good BBB rating means the company has been in business for a long time and gets good ratings, and makes things right when customers complain.
- Though it is not uncommon for companies to charge for estimates, you only want to pay the company you hire. Consider using a company that is willing to provide you a free estimate. This is the sign of a company that is confident in its ability to do a good job and win your business.
- Experience working directly with insurers. Often water damage is covered by insurance. Some less experienced repair people, like your cousin’s friend, will ask you to take on the work of dealing with the insurance company and paying them. Sure, you could do that, but why? Hire a company that will do it for you!
- A long track record in your area. There is no substitute for determining the quality of a company than seeing how long it has been doing business in your area. If they’ve been there for a while, this is a good sign they offer quality, reliable service.
- Personalized attention. It is frustrating to play phone tag with an individual repairperson. Look for a company that can offer you the chance to talk to a person and get prompt answers and service.
- Rapid response. When you have water damage to get repaired, you can’t wait til next week, or else dangerous mold and continued damage will make the situation worse. Hire someone who comes right away – or has a 60 minute response time.
If you consider these factors in choosing your water damage repair company, you are far more likely to be satisfied with the results AND the process.
